Integrated Server Module and Method of Resource Management Therefor

1. An apparatus, comprising: a network element adapted for providing Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexing (DSLAM) functionality; and a plurality of integrated services modules connected to the network element, each one of said integrated services modules including: a functionality server adapted for providing prescribed server-specific functionality and adapted for communicating information via a universal interface format; and an access server connected between a system interface of the network element and the functionality server and adapted for translating said information between a system-specific interface format compatible with the system interface of the network element and the universal interface format, wherein the system-specific interface format is a proprietary interface format; and the universal interface format is an industry standardized interface format; wherein the functionality server of at least one of said integrated services modules is further adapted for initiating provisioning of a connection between the network element and a subscriber data processing system; and wherein the functionality server is further adapted for assessing at least one of a parameter associated with a subscriber quality of service and a parameter associated with bandwidth of a connection between the network element and a subscriber data processing system, and initiating provisioning is performed after said assessing; and wherein the network element is further adapted for implementing said provisioning of the connection.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a first one of said integrated services modules is connected to a second one of said integrated services modules by at least one of a traffic cross-connect interface and a management cross-connect interface.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein: a first one of said integrated services modules is adapted for providing a first type of server-specific functionality; and a second one of said integrated services modules is adapted for providing a second type of server-specific functionality different than the first type of server-specific functionality.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the first type of server-specific functionality provided by the first one of said integrated services modules is at least partially dependent on the second type of server-specific functionality provided by the second one of said integrated services modules.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein: the first type of server-specific functionality includes functionality for processing said information; and the second type of server-specific functionality includes functionality for storing said information.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein: the first type of server-specific functionality includes functionality for managing a subscriber service; and the second type of server-specific functionality includes functionality for enabling said managing.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein: said managing includes processing subscriber service requests; and said enabling includes at least one of storing and retrieving at least a portion of said information.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the access server of at least one of said integrated services modules includes a processor adapted for enabling provisioning of the access server in response to changes in the system interface.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein implementing said provisioning includes modifying at least one of a parameter affecting subscriber quality of service and a parameter affecting bandwidth of the connection between the network element and a subscriber data processing system.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the network element includes a Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexor (DSLAM) and a DSLAM management apparatus connected to the DSLAM.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the network element includes a Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexor (DSLAM).

12. An apparatus, comprising: a network element adapted for providing Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexing (DSLAM) functionality; a first integrated services module including a first functionality server adapted for providing a first type of server-specific functionality and an access server adapted for translating information between a system-specific interface format compatible with a system interface of the network element and a universal interface format different than the system-specific interface format, wherein the access server is connected between the functionality server and the system interface of the network element; and a first data processor program capable of enabling the first integrated services module to facilitate: transmitting universal interface formatted information for reception by the first access server from the first functionality server; translating said universal interface formatted information to system-compatible interface formatted information, wherein translating is performed by the first access server after receiving said universal interface formatted information; and transmitting said system-compatible interface formatted information from the first access server toward the system interface after performing said translating, wherein enabling the first integrated services module to facilitate transmitting said universal interface formatted information includes enabling the first integrated services module to facilitate transmitting said universal interface formatted information via a first access server interface maintained between the first access server and the first functionality server; wherein the first data processor program is further capable of enabling the first integrated services module to facilitate: initiating provisioning of a connection between the network element and a subscriber data processing system prior to transmitting said information toward the system interface; and wherein the first data processor program is further capable of enabling the first integrated services module to facilitate: assessing at least one of a parameter associated with a subscriber quality of service and a parameter associated with bandwidth of a connection between the network element and a subscriber data processing system; and initiating provisioning is performed after said assessing; and wherein the first data processor program is further capable of enabling the first integrated services module to facilitate: implementing provisioning of the connection, wherein said implementing is performed by the network element.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein enabling the first integrated services module to facilitate transmitting said universal interface formatted information includes enabling the first integrated services module to facilitate transmitting a first portion of said universal interface formatted information via a traffic portion of the first access server interface and transmitting a second portion of said universal interface formatted information via a management portion of the first access server interface.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein: the system-compatible interface formatted information is formatted in accordance with a proprietary interface format; and the universal interface format is formatted in accordance with an industry standardized interface format.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein enabling the first integrated services module to facilitate implementing provisioning includes enabling the first integrated services module to facilitate modifying at least one of a parameter affecting subscriber quality of service and a parameter affecting bandwidth of the connection between the network element and a subscriber data processing system.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein enabling the first integrated services module to facilitate implementing said provisioning includes enabling the first integrated services module to facilitate temporarily maintaining a parameter affecting at least one of subscriber quality of service and bandwidth of a subscriber connection in a modified state.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the network element includes a Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexor (DSLAM) and a DSLAM management apparatus connected to the DSLAM.

18. The apparatus of claim 12 the first data processor program is further capable of enabling the first integrated services module to facilitate: implementing a first type of server-specific functionality capable of being provided by the first functionality server, wherein said implementing is performed by the functionality server and wherein transmitting said universal interface formatted information is performed in response to implementing said server-specific functionality.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein enabling the first integrated services module to facilitate implementing includes enabling the first integrated services module to facilitate determining a required second type of server-specific functionality capable of being implemented a second functionality server.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein: the first type of server-specific functionality includes functionality for processing said universal interface formatted information; and the second type of server-specific functionality includes at least one of storing and retrieving at least a portion of said universal interface formatted information.

21. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein: the first type of server-specific functionality includes functionality for managing a subscriber service; and the second type of server-specific functionality includes functionality for enabling said managing.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein: said managing includes processing subscriber service requests; and said enabling includes at least one of storing and retrieving at least a portion of said universal interface format information.

23. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the first data processor program is further capable of enabling the first integrated services module to facilitate: implementing a connection between the first access server and a second access server in response to determining said required external resource functionality, wherein the second access server is connected between the network element and a second functionality server, thereby enabling a server-specific functionality provided by the second functionality server to be accessible by the first functionality server.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein enabling the first integrated services module to facilitate implementing the connection includes enabling the first integrated services module to facilitate implementing at least one of a traffic cross-connection and a management cross-connection.

25. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the first data processor program is further capable of enabling the first integrated services module to facilitate: transmitting said system-compatible interface formatted information for reception by the first access server from the network element prior to implementing the first type of said server-specific functionality; translating said system-compatible interface formatted information to said universal interface formatted information, wherein translating is performed by the first access server after receiving said system-compatible interface formatted information at the first access server; and transmitting said universal interface formatted information from the first access server for reception by the first functionality server after said translating of said system-compatible interface formatted information.

26. A method for facilitating application functionality via a network element adapted for providing Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexing (DSLAM) functionality, comprising: transmitting universal interface formatted information for reception by a first access server from a first functionality server, wherein the first access server is connected between a network element adapted capable of providing Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexing (DSLAM) functionality and the first functionality server, wherein transmitting said universal interface formatted information includes transmitting said universal interface formatted information via a first access server interface maintained between the first access server and the first functionality server; translating said universal interface formatted information to system-compatible interface formatted information, wherein translating is performed by the first access server after receiving said universal interface formatted information and wherein the system-specific interface formatted is different than the universal interface formatted; transmitting said system-compatible interface formatted information from the first access server toward the system interface after performing said translating; initiating provisioning of a connection between the network element and a subscriber data processing system prior to transmitting said information toward the system interface; assessing at least one of a parameter associated with a subscriber quality of service and a parameter associated with bandwidth of a connection between the network element and a subscriber data processing system; wherein initiating provisioning is performed after said assessing; and implementing provisioning of the connection, wherein said implementing is performed by the network element.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein transmitting said universal interface formatted information includes transmitting a first portion of said universal interface formatted information via a traffic portion of the first access server interface and transmitting a second portion of said universal interface formatted information via a management portion of the first access server interface.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein: the system-compatible interface formatted information is formatted in accordance with a proprietary interface format; and the universal interface format is formatted in accordance with an industry standardized interface format.

29. The method of claim 26 wherein implementing provisioning includes modifying at least one of a parameter affecting subscriber quality of service and a parameter affecting bandwidth of the connection between the network element and a subscriber data processing system.

30. The method of claim 26 wherein implementing said provisioning includes temporarily maintaining a parameter affecting at least one of subscriber quality of service and bandwidth of a subscriber connection in a modified state.

31. The method of claim 26 wherein the network element includes a Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexor (DSLAM) and a DSLAM management apparatus connected to the DSLAM.

32. The method of claim 26 , further comprising: implementing a first type of server-specific functionality capable of being provided by the first functionality server, wherein said implementing is performed by the first functionality server and wherein transmitting said universal interface formatted information is performed in response to implementing said server-specific functionality.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein said implementing includes determining a required second type of server-specific functionality capable of being implemented a second functionality server.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein: the first type of server-specific functionality includes functionality for processing said universal interface formatted information; and the second type of server-specific functionality includes at least one of storing and retrieving at least a portion of said universal interface formatted information.

35. The method of claim 33 wherein: the first type of server-specific functionality includes functionality for managing a subscriber service; and the second type of server-specific functionality includes functionality for enabling said managing.

36. The method of claim 33 wherein: said managing includes processing subscriber service requests; and said enabling includes at least one of storing and retrieving at least a portion of said universal interface format information.

37. The method of claim 33 , further comprising: implementing a connection between the first access server and a second access server in response to determining said required external resource functionality, wherein the second access server is connected between the network element and a second functionality server, thereby enabling a server-specific functionality provided by the second functionality server to be accessible by the first functionality server.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein implementing the connection includes implementing at least one of a data cross-connection and a control cross-connection.

39. The method of claim 32 , further comprising: transmitting said system-compatible interface formatted information for reception by the first access server from the network element prior to implementing the first type of said server-specific functionality; translating said system-compatible interface formatted information to said universal interface formatted information, wherein translating is performed by the first access server after receiving said system-compatible interface formatted information at the first access server; and transmitting said universal interface formatted information from the first access server for reception by the first functionality server after said translating of said system-compatible interface formatted information.